Simmone Logue Double Bay

I’m usually for trying different dishes when I go to restaurants and cafes. As they often say, variety is the spice of life! However, there are some places where I return to the same favourite meal every time. For me, one of those places is the local café Simmone Logue at Double Bay. They do one of my favourite breakfast dishes ever - the Grilled Field Mushrooms . I substitute avocado for the feta that comes standard with it and it turns into the most wondrous of flavour combinations. The odd time that I have ordered something else, I have sat there wishing I had ordered my beloved grilled mushrooms.

Although I order the same items off the menu each time, it is lovely to see the different interpretations taken by whoever is cooking. I like going to places where your dish will be one of a kind rather than one of many that looks like it is precision-tested off a production line. Sometimes my plate will have slices of avocado on the side and others it will be spread on the toast. Sometimes all the ingredients will be piled into one big sculpture and others they will all be neatly arranged separately so that I can eat them in the order and combination of my fancy. It is always a surprise. The other big draw of Simmon Logue is that they have the best sourdough bread in Sydney that I have tasted - bar none. The loaf has a firm crust, but not overly so, and inside is the softest ,fluffiest most wonderfully scented bread. It is perfect for toast, sandwiches or to eat alone as I often do when I pass my kitchen counter. Simmon Logue is located in Cross Street, Double Bay. There is indoor and outdoor seating and I recommend you arrive early as there is not a lot of it available. Once you finish your coffee and reading the paper, go browse the nearby shops which have an interesting and unique selection of books, gifts and homewares.

 

Tetsuya's

My sister and I had the delight of spending a rainy afternoon at Tetsuya’s last Saturday.   We chose to have the degustation menu, which consisted of ten different courses.  Little did we know what an unexpected treat we were in for. 

The heritage-listed restaurant premises are stylish but very low key.  The north side of the dining room is made up of glass windows that overlook a peaceful Japanese style garden including a little waterfall.  The atmosphere is very tranquil.

We were served throughout the meal by different waiters that explained each of the dishes before serving it.  They were knowledgeable, polite and most importantly, unobtrusive. 

This is a listing of the courses -

Chestnut Soup

Steamed Tofu Custard with Shiitake Mushroom

Terrine of Summer Vegetables

Smoked Ox-Heart Tomato with Aged Chardonnay Vinaigrette

Warm Autumn Vegetables with Konnyaku

Beetroot Risotto with Blood Orange Marmalade

Salt-Roasted Sweet Potato with Macadamia Cream and Spinach

Pickled King Oyster Mushroom with Polenta

Pear Sorbet (palate cleanser)

Apple Granita with Basil Jelly

Soy Chocolate Ice Cream with Compressed Strawberries

Petit Fours

Apart from the warm autumn vegetables and the petit fours, I have tasted nothing like the other dishes.  While the ingredients were familiar, they were combined in unique ways or in new textures that gave them a whole new life.  Take the humble tomato.  The Smoked Ox-Heart Tomato dish had layers and layers of compressed smoked tomato – it was so tender and flavourful that it hands-down my favourite.   The basil jelly also worked surprisingly well with the apple. 

 

If there is any gripe, and it is a small one, it is that I would have liked one of the desserts to be different from the ice-cream/sorbet type.  That, or I would have exchanged on of the savoury dishes for an additional dessert. 

But overall, I hope to visit again and see what other delicious and interesting ways this restuarant can prepare plant-based foods.

Risotto

I had plenty of basil which means pesto! Instead of having it on the usual pasta I tried a recipe that teams it with a lemony and cheesy risotto.

Mississippi Mud Cake with Chilli Cherries

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves are all spices I associate with colder-weather sweets.  However, in keeping with the theme of chilli, I decided to turn the heat up a little on a traditional dessert on the weekend.  The lure of chocolate was calling me and I made a Mississippi mudcake.  I would normally pair it with a creamy sauce made from coconut milk, but I had something more fruity on my mind as inspired by the Women's Weekly "Bake".

In a pan I simmered some water, sugar, orange peel, star anise and a red chilli.  I added some cherries I had in the freezer and let it all bubble away for some minutes. 

 I let everything sit overnight and the next day the sweet syrup had thickened and the hotness of the chilli had calmed down.  The pairing was divine.

Roasted Chilli Eggplant

There was a decided chill in the air this morning as I walked through the city.  I do believe that autumn has finally arrived which makes me very happy.  I am anticipating all the warming dishes and spices that will start to replace the fresher ingredients that have filled my kitchen this past summer. 

I recently made this dish – it is roasted eggplant stirfried with a home-made chilli dressing and topped with toasted coconut flakes.  It had a warm to mildly hot level of heat, which is just right for me.

Grape Fritters

Afternoon tea tastes so much more divine if served up with pretty accessories. Not that these grape fritters needed much adornment – these turned out much more flavourful than I expected. I topped these with fine sugar to add a little more sweetness.

Dark Chocolate

With Easter arriving in a couple of weeks, it was inspiration for me to finally visit a little shop I have walked past many times but never quite made it inside.  Vanderwee Chocolates is located in a laneway of Double Bay’s shopping village and right now it is decked out with colourful displays of bunnies and Easter eggs.

Upon entering the shop, I was met with an assortment of bon bons, pralines and truffles filled with all sorts of fruity and nutty blends. I asked the owner about which dark chocolates he would recommend and I was treated to an educational session about the world of chocolate.

Henrik and his wife Hilde opened the chocolate boutique in 1995, having come from a country that appreciates the art of fine chocolate-making – Belgium.  Whilst I would recommend visiting the store, for those that are time-pressed they offer a web order and delivery service.  The website is packed with information about chocolate and what makes a good product.

The quality of the chocolates was superb.  I bought several bonbons and truffles which were smooth and flavourful as well as a bar of 50% dark chocolate.  Let me tell you, these did not last long. 

If you would like more information about Vanderwee chocolates, visit http://www.vanderwee.com.au.